Ballard Joins 'Work Ready' Counties

Secretary Hal Heiner announced Friday that Ballard and Mason counties have been certified as Kentucky Work Ready Communities, while Jackson, Meade and Owen counties have been certified as Kentucky Work Ready Communities in Progress.

“I am excited to announce that we now have 37 counties that have achieved Work Ready Communities certification by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board (KWIB) and there are 51 counties in progress to become Work Ready Communities,” Heiner said. “Everything we aspire to economically is contingent on our communities having a skilled workforce that is ready and able to fulfill the needs of employers. Earning the Kentucky Work Ready Communities certification gives counties a competitive edge when businesses are looking for a new location or want to expand in Kentucky. I encourage all communities in the Commonwealth to pursue the Work Ready designation.”

The Kentucky Work Ready Communities certification program from the KWIB and the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet assures employers that a local workforce has the talent and skills necessary to staff existing jobs and to master the innovative technologies new jobs will require.

To become certified, a county must gather local support and commitment and apply for the Work Ready Community designation. Counties have to meet criteria in six areas including high school graduation rates, National Career Readiness Certificate holders, demonstrated community commitment, educational attainment, soft-skills development and digital literacy.

The counties of Adair, Anderson, Ballard, Boone, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Bullitt, Caldwell, Campbell, Carlisle, Clark, Daviess, Fleming, Graves, Greenup, Hardin, Henderson, Hopkins, Kenton, Madison, Marshall, Mason, McCracken, Mercer, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Oldham, Pulaski, Rowan, Shelby, Trigg, Union, Warren, Washington and Woodford have been designated as Kentucky Work Ready Communities since certification began in February 2012.

Counties that achieve Kentucky Work Ready status must be recertified every three years.

For more information about the Kentucky Work Ready Communities program, go to http://workready.ky.gov [2].